It’s that time again, and I’ve got you five new songs for this Friday. Today’s selection is a little all over the place (some of it is a little out there, I’m warning you!), but each song deserves some love, as I have been digging each of these tracks lately. Let’s get started, shall we?
Keane (feat. K’naan) – Stop For A Minute
I have this strange relationship with Keane; most of their stuff falls under my radar, but every once and while, they release a MAJOR single that completely captures my attention. Last time that happened was when they released the massive Spiralling, and I literally couldn’t get enough of that song. Now, they have done it again with this insanely catchy track, which has one of the best choruses of any song on the radio right now. While I’m not super hype on the rap portion of the song, the massive chorus won me over instantly, and has me playing this song on major repeat right now. This is definitely one to roll the windows down and blast as you ride around enjoying the beautiful spring weather we are having right now.
Kelis – Acapella
While I will openly admit that this one took a while to grow on me, it has managed to take me completely by storm over the past couple of weeks. The more I hear this song, the more I love it. The beat begs to be danced to, and I like how fresh and different it is from most of the other stuff circling the airwaves out there right now. While Bossy will probably (see definitely) always be my favorite of Kelis’ songs, this one certainly highlights the fact that Kelis is not a shot in the pan; she has changed her style and done something brilliant in every endeavor she has taken musically. I can’t wait to see what her upcoming release, Flesh Tone (out July 6) has in store for us.
Jónsi – Go Do
Remember earlier when I said that there was some stuff that would be a little “out there” this week? Well, here it is. This ethereal track is from the recently released solo album, Go, from the lead singer of the Icelandic rock band, Sigur Rós. While I really can’t understand most of what he is singing in this song, I absolutely love the beautiful vocals and the accompanying airy and fanciful music. The first time I heard this, I had a bit of a WTF moment, but I will admit that I was instantly turned around, and was kicking myself for my doubt by the end of the song; this song is awesome. There’s definitely some strange stuff going on in Iceland, as evidenced by this, and the type of music fellow Icelander Björk makes. However, after hearing this, I honestly think that the Icelandic strange is the kind of strange that I am pretty sure that I love; after all, I love a lot of Björk’s music, and I find myself really loving this as well. Side note: apparently, he’s openly gay, so that’s a bonus to be featuring an out artist today!
Sia – Clap Your Hands
Sia managed to fly under my radar for almost a year, only to take me by storm with her previous release, Some People Have Real Problems. As such, I was pretty excited to see that her next release, We Are Born will be released very soon (June 7th to be exact). Subsequently, when I heard this song, which is the lead single from the upcoming album, I was a bit on the fence; I didn’t love it instantly. However, Sia has proven to be a grower for me, and that is exactly what happened with this one; it has really grown on me, and I am loving it more with each listen. This one is definitely more upbeat for her, but it works, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the new album has in store.
Laura Marling – Rambling Man
I have fellow music blogger xolondon to thank for turning me onto this amazing song. He posted the video for this song (which is filled to the brim with a shirtless, burly man; that certainly got my attention!), and rightly pegged this as Laura so amazingly channeling Joni Mitchell, for which I have nothing but praise and admiration. This song is a triumph, and I think that Joni would be proud that Laura is making music like this today. This song is well written, and beautiful, and I am truly delighted to have been turned on to it. Thanks xolondon for schooling me on the delicate beauty of Laura Marling! (note: I posted a Laura Marling song in the past, but her new stuff had completely flown outside of my radar; until now.)
Well, there you have it; another five song Friday in the bag. What did you think? As always, let me know what you thought, and why not throw in a few suggestions of your own while you are at it? I hope you enjoyed these songs as much as enjoyed bringing them to you… until next time!
“Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick; I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.” Brilliant. Utterly. Fucking. Brilliant! Seriously, this song just has me moving and grooving, as does every track I have heard from the amazing Lady GaGa (especially the AMAZING track, Just Dance; which I cannot get enough of). It is REALLY rare when an artist comes out with a pop record that is as brilliantly put together as Lady GaGa’s The Fame, and I am incredibly excited about it’s eventual release. Until then, I have been grabbing at every bit of GaGa that I can get my hands on from the magical interwebs, and track after track has filled me with glee. This record is a serious contender for record of the year at this point for me… and it hasn’t even been released! Seriously, if you are a fan of fantastic pop music, come into the Haus of GaGa; because she knows how to create amazing pop, and track after track, she is proving that she is a pop force to be reckoned with. Lady GaGa is one the best things to happen to American pop in a long while.
This week, Keane sent out an announcement that you could download their newest single, Spiralling, for free from their website. Well, being the curious cat that I am, I went ahead and downloaded it, and I have to say, that after several listens, I like it more and more each time I hear it. It is a funky track for Keane, and has me very interested in what they have in store for their upcoming release, Perfect Symmetry. I loved that song Somewhere Only We Know when it came out many moons ago, but I got a bit played out on it, and as such, lost interest in Keane. Well, I can definitely say that Spiralling has renewed that interest in hearing what they have to say.
I was in the car with my buddy Deb yesterday, and this song came on the radio, and each of us instantly agreed that it was a great song. I ran home to try and get it, but low and behold, it isn’t on iTunes, but I was lucky enough to find it on the interwebs. Why is great music so hard to obtain sometimes? Based on how much I like this song, I am sure that I want to know more about the Script, and I will be doing whatever I can to get more of their music (I will definitely snag their album when it goes out on August 12). I love how the lead singer’s voice has a definite likeness to Sting’s beautiful voice; perhaps that is what I was drawn to initially. Either way, I really like this song, and the chorus is one of those that really begs to be played at a pivotal scene in a movie. 
I don’t know what brought this out, but the other day I was looking through my music, and I realized I didn’t have Kosheen’s CD in my collection anymore. I instantly had to have it, because I remember some of the amazing tracks that they had back in 2001 that just blew me away. The haunting vocals of the lead singer really match the electronic beats and fast pumping melodies in their songs. This song in particularly was a favorite of mine at the time, and really takes me back to many of those nights dancing in the club, having the time of my life. I checked their wikipedia page, and I see that they have a couple of other albums, so I will probably have to check them out at some point in the near future. I’m glad to have been reminded of this random piece of the past… this song is really amazing, isn’t it?